Ministry Collects Bicycles to Help Haitian Children Reach School
For Haiti with Love says it has gathered about 200 bicycles but needs up to $5,000 to ship them, according to Mission Network News.
A ministry called For Haiti with Love is collecting bicycles to help Haitian children who face long walks to school, according to a report by Mission Network News (MNN). Roseline DeHart of the organization told MNN that some children walk five to 10 miles to attend classes, making consistent attendance and focus difficult. "A bicycle can make a huge difference between struggling to attend school and having a reliable way to get there every day," DeHart said. She added that bicycles are needed in both rural areas and cities. According to the report, the team has so far collected about 200 bicycles from local communities, ranging from small children's bikes to adult-sized models for older students. DeHart said some are repurposed and cleaned up, while others are nice used bikes or new. Rather than distributing them at random, the ministry says it identifies children living farthest from school. The faith-based group also uses the gifts as opportunities to share its Christian message. The project's main hurdle, DeHart said, is transporting the bicycles to Haiti, which is expected to cost up to $5,000. The organization, based in Palm Harbor, Florida, is appealing for prayer and support. The account is drawn from a single source and has not been independently verified.